Essential Magic Articles

The Equal Teams Multiplayer Format

The equal teams multiplayer format is what I have been playing in various playgroups weekly for the last 15 years. It is a simple, balanced, and time-tested format that I am suggesting to you because it has been so enjoyable for my playgroups over the years.

The rules are like free-for-all, with the following adjustments:

1.) There are two teams, creating a 2v2 or 3v3 game. Turns go clockwise, alternating between ally and enemy.

2.) Each person has their own life total, resources, etc, just like in free-for-all.

3.) The player who goes first does not draw a card.

4.) You may only attack opponents. There are no other restrictions on who you may attack.

5.) When a player is killed, all permanents, spells, effects, etc. that they CONTROL are exiled with no effect (permanents they own but do not control stay in play).

6.) When a player is killed, the opposing team must sacrifice a player.

7.) A player may not quit but if they can fill their mana pool as high as their current life total, they can suicide.

8.) OPTIONAL house rules to preserve fairness and prevent misery:

- no purposely coordinating decks (ie: two elf decks)

- no infinite combos

- no heavy land destruction/mana denial, including game-resetting effects like upheaval

- no "locking out" the game to where opponents become helpless observers instead of players (ie: stasis deck)

- Eventually, our group agreed to have weight classes for our decks, so we could all agree to play similarly powered decks at the same time.